Long-Distance Present
by pikachu203
Summary: One-shot. Long distance relationships can be difficult, especially when the person you love is far away on special occasions. Wallace knows this all too well. However, though Steven is away on his birthday, perhaps he'll still receive a special present.


**Long-Distance Present**

 **(A/N) So, this is just originshipping fluff... Funny, the first thing I did on my birthday is post this fluff on tumblr… Consider it a birthday present if today is your birthday, and a very merry unbirthday to you if it is not!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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I stared at the phone as he waved goodbye, forcing a smile. I closed the pokenav, collapsing into a seated position. Was I happy for him? Sure, I was happy for him. He was out travelling the world, following his dreams. He could do whatever he wanted, but I… I didn't want him gone, not today.

 _No. I should be supportive of him._

I stood again. There was still time in the tournament today, and soon someone would hopefully come for a challenge.

Usually I wasn't bothered by this. It was just that today…

 _Stop, you need to focus._

To be fair, there wasn't much need to focus. It was another hour before my challenger arrived. The fledgling trainer was young and pitifully weak in comparison to my team. I have no idea how he managed to get to the end of the elite four in the first place.

Following that, I sat down, sighing. Sure, the floor was uncomfortable, but I didn't mind. Instead, I let my pokemon roam around the room, watching them relax after the last battle. My mind wandered back to thinking about him. I couldn't stop wondering where he was, or if he even remembered what today was… He hadn't mentioned it over the phone.

I was nauseated at the thought. It was as if someone shoved a spike into my gut.

 _No, this is fine. So he's away… He cares about you; that's not going to change._

 _He does…_

 _Right?_

I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. As soon as the day was done I returned home. I felt ill, and didn't want to celebrate with the other gym leaders or elite four members, despite their insistence. Instead, I stood in front of my door in the brisk night air.

I heard… something from beyond the door. It was a bizarre noise, like metal clanking. Unnerved, I pulled out a pokeball, ready to attack any intruder. I slid the door open, finding no evidence of a burglary.

Instead, my hallway was empty. I entered the dining room, still vigilant for whoever had entered my home. There I found something even stranger.

The table was set and covered with food, including a large white cake with "Happy Birthday, Wallace!" written in deep blue icing across the top. written in deep blue icing. I froze. Again, the cacophonous sound came, though I now located it in my living room. I entered slowly, and what I saw left me shocked.

Well, there was only one person in the world who could sleep soundly atop an enormous metal monster. How Steven managed to fit his metagross in my living room was beyond me, much less how he fell asleep up there. He couldn't possibly be comfortable.

I crept over to the couch. I grabbed a pillow, and placed it under his head, though the movement woke him up. He stared at me upside-down, "Wallace?"

Disoriented, he sat up, nearly banging his head on the ceiling, "Careful!"

I helped him down, and he yawned, stretching himself out. I frowned as I heard his back crack, wondering how long he'd been here, "Ugh… Wallace, what time is it?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall, "It's nine… What are you doing here?"

I didn't mean for the words to come out as harshly as they did, and felt guilty when he winced, "I… It's your birthday, so I wanted to surprise you!"

Whatever anger or nervousness I had melted away. He had come all the way from Sinnoh to see me. I hugged him tightly, and he returned it happily.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you too…"

We embraced for a few minutes in silence. I didn't need to hear him say anything. Having him with me was enough to relax me. After what felt like forever, he softly asked, "Would you like some cake?"

I nodded, pressing a kiss on his forehead, "Yes, that would be wonderful."

He returned metagross, and laced his fingers with mine. I gave his hand a squeeze, which he returned softly. His hands were rougher than mine, presumably from spending so much time in caves.

The cake was decadent, a few layers of vanilla with banana cream in the center. I smiled at him across the table, "So, dear, what have you been up to?"

Despite the long winded geological ramble that followed, I didn't regret asking. His face lit up, and his eyes shone like a dawn stone when I did. I couldn't understand half of what he was gushing about, but I hardly minded. I packed up the remaining cake in the fridge, letting him happily pratter on. It was worth it to see him smile.

I returned to the living room, cuddling him close on the couch. He was still talking, like he always was, about his cute obsession. I gently brushed my fingers through his soft, messy hair, smiling contentedly.

He paused in his speech, "Oh! That reminds me… I got you something!"

I hugged him, "You didn't need to do that… Your presence is enough of a present."

He laughed, saying I deserved far more than just him. He slipped a hand in his pocket, pulling out a necklace. It was a small waterstone on a chain, and it appeared to encapsulate the ocean in a simple shard. It was mesmerizingly beautiful. He gently put it on, and I smiled warmly at him, "Thank you. It's beautiful."

He nodded, leaning back into my embrace. He must have been exhausted…

"Here," I pulled a blanket over him, and he huddled closer to my shoulder.

I returned to gently playing with his hair as he drifted off.

"Steven…?" I asked tentatively.

"What is it?"

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

He chuckled, "Of course I will. I'll be staying around for a while. Don't worry."

I relaxed, "Thank you. I love you."

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 **(A/N) Thank you for reading. This was written at a rather early hour in the morning initially, though it has gone through extensive edits. If there are any flaws I missed please message me about them. I'll just slink away and work on editing and writing other things for now.(Hopefully what I post next will be a bit longer or more substantial, we'll see.)**


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